Cavity filters are known in the art and discussed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,428 (Kaegebein '428) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,850 (Kaegebein '850), which are incorporated by reference herein. Kaegebein '850 describes a temperature compensating cavity bandpass filter comprising a temperature compensation assembly connecting the movable probe to the tuning support rod. The assembly is a bi-metal structure that varies the position of the movable probe as a result of the temperature. Although effective for temperature compensation, the assembly described in Kaegebein '850 is limited in transmission power throughput because of a lack of adequate heat dissipation within the cavity. Specifically, the aluminum tubes of the assembly have no direct connection to the movable probe or the running support rod and rely only upon their close proximity for heat transfer. Furthermore, the relative complexity and poor heat dissipation of the system described in Kaegebein '850 reduces the overall reliability of the system.
Thus, what is needed is a temperature compensation apparatus for frequency stabilization that overcomes limited transmission power throughput and reduced reliability due to poor heat dissipation.